SOURCE: Dora Christodoulou, In-Cyprus
Banana cultivation in Cyprus has reached a critical point that threatens its continued existence, according to growers from Pegeia and Kissonerga, the only regions on the island producing the fruit.
The drought of recent years had already placed pressure on farmers to continue their operations, but the unexpected disruption at Mavrokolympos reservoir now risks becoming their death knell, growers emphasised.
With Mavrokolympos—the sole irrigation source for banana plantations—currently “out of commission” for this year, representatives of the growers estimate at least half of the plantations will wither.
Officials have informed farmers they will receive only half the usual water allocation for irrigation this year, forcing producers to make difficult choices about which plantations to maintain.
They warned that if drought conditions persist and infrastructure problems remain unresolved, the end of this cultivation is a certainty.
Approximately 300 banana growers in Pegeia and Kissonerga emphasised that the Cypriot banana faces a genuine existential threat unless Mavrokolympos is repaired quickly or private drilling efforts prove successful.
Growers explained that bananas are particularly vulnerable to water shortages compared to other local crops like olives, lemons and carob trees. The banana plant develops rapidly but with shallow, extensive root systems that cannot draw water from deep underground like most trees, requiring extensive, continuous and abundant watering.
The future remains bleak for the sector, they concluded, even if part of this year’s production is saved. Plantations forced to wither this year will not be able to produce fruit again immediately, creating long-term production challenges.